All posts for the day September 2nd, 2010

I have mentioned before that I have some strong genetic links to a hobbit. I have little tufts of hair on my fingers, my toes and other parts of my body that are best not mentioned.

I also hate shaving, not just a bit, but really a lot. I just do not have the time. The odds of me in a leisurely shower taking time to shave is pretty much non-existent, I can count the times on my one hand when I have had a bath alone in the last two months, so shaving is an event in my house.

Part of the reason that I really do not make the time, is that it a pointless exercise for me. If I shave now, by tomorrow morning I will have stubble, and by tomorrow evening full 5 o’clock shadow across my legs and other regions.

I cannot quite express how bad the situation is, without showing you pictures – and even I realise in doing that will be crossing a line that neither of us will be able to return from.

Though the hair on my head if reasonably light, the hair on my body has a distinct Mediterranean feel about it. The only redeeming characteristic is that I do not have hair on my back. One sometimes has to be reminded of the small things to be thankful for.

To cut a long story short, I am over the idea of shaving, and have opted out of it for a bit now.

It does nothing for me and actually just wastes my time. I have chosen to live a non-shaved life for about a month plus. It has had limits on my wardrobe and I live in fear of being involved in some sort of traffic accident and them taking me to hospital, while I am unconscious.

At least if I was conscious I would be able to explain why my bikini area looks the way it does, but lying there immobile, is not going to do me any favours and I know there will be photos on YouTube with captions.

Once the hair situation gets to a certain level, you really do start caring less, because it just is so ridiculous and you realise the time it is going to take to shave through the forest you have cultivated.

I went for a run/stumble last night. Kennith asked me if I experienced much wind resistance as he looked at the mountain gorilla hair on my legs. My leg hair was sort of curling over my socks – even with my rather low standards, I realise that is not something that should be allowed.

I was hoping to just stop caring, but I am not quite there yet – so all is not lost quite yet.

I have an appointment with Vera for tomorrow morning at 7am. So while you are snuggly wrapped up in your duvet, or having your first bowel movement of the morning, think of me as Vera stands and pours hot wax on my nether regions and pulls it out. Hair, roots and all, with all her might.

My friend Alice has been trying to convince me to have a Brazilian (the wax, rather than a person who was birthed in Brazil) and have Vera do it. Alice suggested taking two Syndols and I would not feel anything. I am sure even after two Syndols I will feel someone taking the hair by the roots outta my crack, unless Syndols have got really good lately. But with that in mind, I will stop and grab a crate after fetching kids from school this afternoon.

I got strangely suspicious of Vera as she appeared to get more excited the more I explained how much hair I have. But I made the appointment and there we are – I am already getting all nervous. I know there is going to be crying and screaming.

I can’t promise you before and after photos – though I am tempted to do them. I might not even blog tomorrow as I may need to be hospitalized for trauma, but that is what I have planned for 7am tomorrow morning.

I really am stoked at hearing that I was shortlisted for the Best Parenting Blog. I found out when I read a post on the www.moomie.co.za forum and saw it there, so thank you Julz for that, else I might have gone along totally unawares.

I’m not sure of the criteria for short listing – is it nothing more than which blogs received the most nominations ? I also see the humour that me and parenting are mentioned in the same sentence – oh how the tears of laughter roll down my face.

It make me feel better to believe that there are a set of judges who are very serious as they peruse the list of nominations. They spend hours dutifully visiting the blogs, and making copious notes regarding posts, the comments and the pretty pictures.

Somewhere somehow in this, I trust someone reads what bloggers post and that is part of the process rather than just the amount of clicks. But maybe I am just being naïve, and it is just about who gets the most nominations/votes – that is also fine I guess.

That being said, and no matter how the process works I am glad/thrilled/like-totally-pleased that I did not get to be the unpopular kid who is never picked. I got to be picked – well my blog did – so that alone made me feel really good today. (does this sound remarkably similar to “You like me, you really like me,” of Sally Field fame in the 80’s Oscar ceremony?)

My friend asked me if I get something, maybe a bottle of wine, a shiny trophy or a lukewarm plate of Chicken a’la King if I win … I don’t think so. It may just be about bragging rights.

I am in a category with some really clever and talented bloggers – just sharing that little area of cyber space with them is quite cool for me.

I am definitely going to drink more wine tonight to celebrate – I was going to drink anyway, now I have a good reason/excuse/occasion to delay signing up for an AA meetings.

Interesting point about the voting, is that people can vote once every twenty four hours based on their unique email address. So it is not just a one click wonder, but a one click wonder every twenty four hours (if it sounds like I am shamelessly trying to solicit votes, you are correct and clearly have a very keen sense of how these things work … something about God helping those who help themselves )

Here are a list of the other blogs that were nominated in the Best Parenting Blog category:

parent24.com/dirksema

parent24.com/ebonyandivory

parent24.com/tania.roux

parent24.com/Tansy

joumaseblerrieblog.blogspot.com

joyfulmamasplace.blogspot.com

malakaistow.blogspot.com

muslimmums.co.za

reluctantmom.wordpress.com

tertia.org

Thanks for nominating me – really, genuinely thank you. Even if you didn’t, the fact that you took the time to click through to this blog and have read it up to here, is also pretty cool.

Even though one does not consciously start a blog so people can read it, it is strange how therapeutic and alarmingly pleasing it is when you find out that people do read your stuff, and even come back more than once … and so much cheaper than paying a psychiatrist.

It was not that it was shit really, it was just that I am exhausted by having to check and re-check on the same crap over and over again. In my day I literally run out of time. Not because I have too much on my plate – which I do – but because I am spending my time doing things that are actually not core to my job, and then I am having to do them repeatedly.

By not doing them, will impact on my job getting through the factory and being delivered on time to my client (I am in print and production.) Though many issues are actually not “my responsibility” – they do become my problem if they do not occur.

As much as I want to just say well “fuck it, if it happens it happens” and toddle on my merry way. The inevitable result is that my client will be upset – with me. And my client will not have whatever element they have been promised at a particular time – again resulting in me feeling responsible.

There is always the risk that my client will go “you know those wankers at ******* stuffed up my job and I will never print with them again…”

A few of those clients and well, we may all face a little unemployment in the not too distant future.

For the last month it has got stoo-pid busy at work. The result is that cracks are starting to show, and I am starting to slowly spin off my axis. (I have also been restricted internet access, but let’s leave that for another post.)

I realise that part of my job – the main component actually – is checking and rechecking details. That is what I do when all is said and done.

But at a certain point (this point) I am so exhausted – I am having to check and recheck again and again and again.

Yesterday I got to recheck a proof that I have now checked 6 times – part client error, part our guys who print the proofs, who did not check their work before it was given to me.

I spent more than two hours of my day fighting with our accounts, and the financial director of another company. I was trying to confirm payment on a job – us paying a supplier COD. I could not get delivery if we could not prove we had paid for the job (if my job is not delivered, I cannot get it to a client as promised, and we are already pretty far into damage control territory).

I spent another hour sorting out something that was meant to be done the night before, but wasn’t – and I was only informed after 2pm. So there I was in a mad panic to sort it out (this delay impacts on another company who needs our element to bind a magazine).

I realized a proof that was ready after 11am was left lying unattended and was not delivered until well after 16h30 – and I have a client asking when they can get their job (well clearly not before I get them to sign the proof.)

Each of these things are not huge issues in their own right. But it is the compounded affect, plus the addition of the dozen or so other things that make my day a bit more challenging than I had hoped, that finally tipped me over the edge.

Unfortunately yesterday afternoon was not my finest hour.

I lost all decorum – and I just felt the shit was insurmountable. I had that moment when things get a little hazy and then I totally threw a fanny-flap and stormed out of my office, flinging my half closed bag over my shoulder like some deranged woman! (this is after screaming what I can only describe as blasphemous comments to a supplier because I was so enraged …. )

When I got home and I had sufficient wine to steady my nerves – I decided to tell Kennith what I crap crap crap day/week/month I was having and how totally totally out of control it was.

I started bitching and whining and pulling out my hair. He tried at one point to offer advise, and actually all I needed him to do was stand there while I just vomited complaints about my day.

When it looked like my story had wound down, and I had a semblance of slight calm about me, and at least another two glasses of wine sorted, then Kennith suggested that:

“Mercy is in retrograde. A planet is described to be in retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. Actually this is an illusory planetary motion created by the orbital rotation of the earth with relation to other planets in the solar system. Planets are never actually retrograde or stationary, they just seem that way due to this cosmic shadow-play.

The planet Mercury rules thinking and perception and all types of communication. When Mercury goes retrograde it gives rise to personal misunderstandings. There would be delays, flaws and hitches in all communication related areas like transportation, trade,etc.

Astrologers advise not to make any important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, since it is likely that such decisions will be marred by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking.”

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